The Storyville Project is a publication of the nonprofit organization, the Lakes Area Writers Alliance and is a collaboration of creative nonfiction and fiction from our Minnesota-based author/members. Because our members come from all walks of life, you will find a variety of subjects and styles within.The Lakes Area Writers Alliance's goal is to encourage and support our fellow writers.Everyone published in this book, and all who worked to see it...

When Jack and Denny Smith decided to build a vacation dream house in Baja, California, they had no idea they were entering a phase of their lives “that would capture the fancy of readers throughout the United States.” Through a series of strange and whimsical adventures, they would find that building a house takes God and Mr. Gomez.As their house took form first in their imaginations and then on paper, little things went wrong along the way. The building site had a way of moving sl...

Stress is a concept that has become both increasingly popularized and misunderstood in society. Today we often think about how "stressed" we are, many on a daily basis. This is especially interesting when we consider that as life has become easier, at least from a materialistic standpoint, rates of depression and anxiety in our culture have risen. It is true that living with too many demands in life can be harmful to our physical and emotional health. But it is equally true that when we be...